


you make me a, you make me a believer

by askmeaboutmyoctopustheory



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Deviancy (Detroit: Become Human), Feelings Realization, Fluff, Kitty Pupil Nines, M/M, RK1k if you squint, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-10-22 17:10:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17666684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/askmeaboutmyoctopustheory/pseuds/askmeaboutmyoctopustheory
Summary: Nines wakes up and Simon helps him adjust to deviancy. Feelings? What are those?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'VE FALLEN INTO THIS RARE PAIR AND I CAN'T GET UP
> 
> Cinnamon roll/Killer robot? SIGN ME TF UP
> 
> Title from the imagine dragons song, it's kinda what made me think of this fic :D

Simon didn’t know what drew him to the room that housed the inactive android. But day after day, he found himself spending his downtime staring up a the android motionless in it’s storage module.

 

They had found the RK900 after the revolution, when CyberLife had been turned over to belong to the Sovereign Nation of Androids. The prototype had been abandoned in its final phases of production. Markus had insisted ‘no man left behind’ during the raid, so the team had activated the unfinished prototype. When activated, the RK900 had had a clear mission to eradicate all deviants, and Connor and Markus combined couldn’t override the programming. So they had forced the unit into stasis and put him in an unused room in New Jericho.

 

Simon found himself in the room, talking to the inert android many hours a day. He would sometimes try to interface, to push his own deviancy into the coding of the far superior model. The RK900 had been built to be more imposing and resilient than Connor. He had broad, defined shoulders and a square jawline. Simon remembered how the model had snapped his grey eyes open and reached to throttle Connor when they had activated him. He felt a small shiver as he sat in front of the module that housed the android.

 

“What are we going to do with you Nines?” Simon had given his silent friend the nickname. He felt silly, but nobody else had to know. The other did not reply, he never did. 

 

“I wonder what you sound like. What you’d want to do if you were deviant.” Simon mused to himself. Would he be a detective like his predecessor, Connor? Would he go a different route? Would he also be attracted to caretaker androids? Simon frowned at his subconscious train of thought. There was no doubt that the android in front of him was attractive, but he did not want to have any sort of flirtatious thoughts towards someone who hadn’t developed their own personality yet.

 

Simon thought of his old owner Malcom, a flamboyant man who dressed up in drag and drank colorful beverages. He thought of his own deviation, how he had defended his owner against a man yelling slurs at him and getting physically violent. He hadn’t wanted to leave, but he was in danger if he had stayed. He had visited Malcom after the revolution, he had found a partner and was happy. He had seen Simon being a part of the revolution and was happy he was alive. 

 

Simon felt a rush of emotions as he thought of his old life. He looked back up at the RK900, wondering if these strong emotions were something that he could push to the inactive android. He peeled back his synth skin and touched the prototype on his face. He closed his eyes and pushed the memories of his old life, his deviation, and his heartbreak from leaving. 

 

He jolted back like he had been shocked. He looked up to see the room bathed in red light from the RK900’s LED. The closed eyes flickered open and the stern brow furrowed. Simon looked up at him, scared but curious at the same time.

 

“R-RK900?” He asked smally, shrinking under the gaze of an android clearly built to eradicate the likes of him.

 

“I am.” The RK900 started speaking, his voice similar but lower than Connors. “I am alive?” It sounded like a question.

 

“It worked” Simon said almost to himself. “It worked!!” 

 

“Simon.” 

 

“You-you know me?”   
  
“I can scan any face, human or android, in a matter of milliseconds and find someones name. But yes, I know you. You’ve been in this room with me almost every day.”

 

“I can’t believe this. You’re awake. And you deviated??”

 

“It appears so. I also rather like the name you gave me”

 

Simon blushed, not realizing the other was able to hear him during his extended stasis. “Nines?”

 

The other android grimaced in response, clearly trying to smile. Simon laughed slightly, before realizing the other didn’t know any better. 

  
“Let me get you down from there, you can come meet the others.”   
  
“I believe I owe some of them an apology. I did try to kill the RK800 model once.”   
  
“Eh everyone makes mistakes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao so twitter has been talking about kitty pupils on Nines SO I DID IT LIKE THE MAD LASS I AM
> 
> I'm not gonna make this full Neko Nines but maybe in another fic bc i have ideas now
> 
> But JUST THOUGHT I'D PUT THIS DISCLAIMER HERE

“You’re awake!”

 

“Oh my god, Si how did you do it”   
  
Connor and Markus both spoke at once as Simon walked into Jericho’s common area, Nines trailing behind as he scanned his surroundings. Simon hadn’t noticed in the darkened room they had kept him in before now, but Nines had slitted pupils like a cats. They were currently round like saucers as his LED spun at his new environment. The RK900 shrank back at the commotion.

 

“Ah guys chill out, he just deviated.” Simon admonished the other two RKs. He reached out to Nines, who’s LED was flashing red. “Hey, c’mon it’s ok.”

 

“I am sorry. I still don’t know how I deviated, to be fully honest, since that’s most likely what you are asking.” Nines replied, his voice eerily robotic when he was stressed. He turned to Connor. “I want to apologize for trying to kill you.”

 

“It’s fine no biggie” Connor waved him off, stepping closer. “They made you taller, different uniform, wider body frame, and those optical units.” Connor walked around him, muttering almost to himself.

 

“I believe it was to make me look more inhuman. The optical units at least. The others were to make me intimidating. To strike fear in all who I meet.” Nines glanced down as he shuffled his feet awkwardly.

 

“Hey, hey. We’re more than our programming. Whatever we were built to do, we can move past it, yeah?” Connor grabbed Nines by the shoulder and jostled him a little. “I’m sure we could get you new optical units, if you want.”

 

“I don’t mind them, at least for now.” Nines seemed to hesitate before continuing. “Are our softwares compatible? I-I would like to download your social module.”

 

Simon felt a rush of compassion for the newly-deviated android. The poor thing was thrust into a world that he was built to destroy, with minimal tools to help him adjust. Simon’s own caretaking programming reared its head as he felt the urge to coddle and pamper the RK900. He watched the two similar RK units interface, presumably to copy and exchange Connor’s software. Upon breaking the interface, Nines’ shoulders seemed to relax and his face was held less stiffly. His pupils were back to their slit-like state, giving him an animalistic appearance. 

 

“Would you like to stay here in Jericho? We have more than enough space while you adjust to deviancy and figure out a job if you want one. We have other clothes if you want something besides your uniform.” Markus spoke up for the first time, dealing with logistics as usual.

 

“I think so, I would like that.” Nines said with a smile that was a bit like a grimace. His eyes flickered over to Simon before returning to Markus. “Where would you like me to stay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORY THIS IS SHORT, I HAVE IDEAS FOR THE REST I JUST WANTED TO GET SOMETHING OUT BC I'M ON A ROLL TODAY
> 
> YELL AT ME ON TWITTER @_AMAMOT


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhjhhhhhh 
> 
> ok so Nines dresses like a dad on vacation and you can't change my mind

Nines didn’t fully understand his life thus far, but apparently that was common for new deviants. Considering his software at its core was supposed to resist deviancy, he knew it would be difficult to adjust. The RK800’s social programming would help, but most of his personality had to be developed organically. 

 

Nines sat down on the cot that was in the room Markus had led him to. He had picked out some clothes from the community-donated storage and was told to come find the others if he had any questions. The room was supposed to be ‘his’ but he felt more out of place than he had hanging in his storage module, motionless. Did the others even want him activated? They had not been actively trying to wake him up, maybe they had had other plans for him. 

 

Except Simon. Nines thought of the blonde who would come and talk to him nearly every day, despite him being unable to respond. It was an endearingly human quirk. Simon would regale him with stories of the day-to-day trials of being one of the founding members of Jericho, to leading the revolution, to the dull legislation that led them to being recognized as beings. Nines hadn’t been ‘awake’ but had still processed all of the stories and undoubtedly the PL600 had been instrumental in his deviancy.

  
  


**> >Find PL600-Simon**

 

He made a mental note to find and thank Simon for helping him. He started putting on the clothes he had picked out. Human members of the community had donated a great deal of clothing to Jericho to help androids adjust to their new deviancy. Nines had selected several floral patterned shirts that reminded him of something that he didn’t quite know. He liked the color and the feel of them. He knew he was designed to look rather muscular which made the shirts tight around his arms and chest. He rather liked it. Deviancy was strange.

 

\---

 

“So how did you do it, Si?” Connor asked once the RK900 had been shown to his room.

 

“I’ve uh. I’ve been going and talking to him.” Simon admitted. “Pretty much every day”

 

Simon could feel the blush creeping on his neck, scrutinized under the gaze of the detective. He stared steadfastly ahead as the walked back to the common area where they had told Nines they would be. 

 

“You like him.” Connor said plainly. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Connor stepped ahead to stop Simon. “Just….don’t push him. He had to download emotions from me, he needs to figure things out for himself.”   
  
“I know, Con. I was a new deviant once too.” Simon ribbed him gently.

 

“Yeah, was the Dodo still alive then?”

“Oh shut up”

 

\------

 

Simon didn’t see the RK900 for the rest of that day, assuming he was adjusting to his new surroundings and life. Before they had found Nines, he had spent most of his free time outside. There was abundant urban wildlife near where New Jericho was located. If he could, he liked to bring oats out for the ducks or seeds for the smaller birds. He could stay still enough for the songbirds to come and eat out of his hand. He was admiring the birds and their little chirps when he heard a twig break behind him. He jumped a bit, startled and turned to see wide-eyed Nines with one foot lifted, apparently having just stepped on a branch.

 

“You ok there big guy?” Simon laughed, the other still looking startled.

 

“I scared all the birds off, I’m sorry.”  Nines looked sheepishly down at his feet.

 

“Oh its ok. They’ll be back, I’ve got seeds.” Nines relaxed as Simon waved his hand dismissively.

 

“Do you like animals?”

 

“I like coming here to feed them, yes. Had to find something to do with my spare time, now that you’re awake.” 

 

A small jostle on the shoulder made Nines’ core twist and his insides whir. He smiled a bit, still feeling out of place with these new feelings. Simon was easy to be with.

 

“Do you want to feed them?” Simon asked, pouring seed onto Nines’ hand without an answer.

 

“I don’t think they’ll like me…..”   
  
“Nonsense, animals don’t care who we are or what we were designed to do.”

 

Several quiet minutes later, Nines had a small flock of birds perched on him, happily pecking at the seeds. His eyes were black with apprehension and he wore an expression of fear. Simon laughed at the clear discomfort that the other faced in the face of tiny birds.

 

“See? They like you.” Simon stepped into Nines’ personal space to shoo the birds off him. His hand brushed against the other’s arm and his gut twisted. Was he that fargone with a man he barely knew?

 

“I’m glad” Nines said softly, looking down to meet Simon’s eyes. “I-I wanted to thank you. For waking me up. I uh. I appreciate it.” Nines didn’t know why the other’s ocean eyes made his vocal modulator not know how to form a sentence.

 

Simon felt his face growing hot with his blue blush. He remembered Connor’s words from the day before and suddenly realized how close they were. The cat-like eyes were relaxed into slits, showing the grey iris around them. Simon broke the eye contact, stepping back and returning to feeding the ducks. Nines furrowed his brow, not liking the instabilities he was experiencing. Maybe he’ll run a diagnostic with Connor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope yall like this, I wanted to give some ~characterization~ but idk what to do plot-wise
> 
> talk to me on twitter @_AMAMOT
> 
> Is your stove still on the lowest setting? Bc this is a slow burn friends


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> asfjsadkfj sorry this is short, i haven't forgotten this story i promise
> 
> i have ideas for the further chapters but i just need to get to them ahhhh

Nines was adjusting well, at least he thought so. He had been awake for two and a half weeks now, had accepted a job at DPD upon Connor’s recommendation, and acquired several companions to spend time with at Jericho. He had daily tasks to complete, and this made him happy. He felt what he now identified with pride and satisfaction when he completed a task. He knew when he was idle, he felt what Connor told him was similar to anxiety. 

 

“Have you considered a hobby?” Connor asked him one night, looking up from his own knitting. It seemed the late RK series needed to keep their hands busy or else they would become anxious and uncalibrated.

 

“I do not know what I would even do for such a hobby.”

 

“You could try-”

  
“I am not knitting, Connor.” Connor pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows indignantly at that.

 

“Well you’ll find something, I’m sure of it.”   
  


\-----

 

Nines had taken to walking around the surrounding neighborhoods during his days off. He could blend in with humans well enough that he wouldn’t be bothered and he found the suburban life of everyday people fascinating. He peered down an alley that had loud music echoing down it and his investigative tendencies took over. Nines found himself standing in front of an open garage door, the space within filled with antique clocks and other basic mechanical objects. He tilted his head in confusion, the oddity mounting when an extremely old human walked through the door that joined the garage to the house. The old man was wearing a white undershirt and suspenders, a tweed driving cap, and a lit cigarette in his mouth. He appeared to be muttering to himself and looking around his garage workshop for something.

 

“Um, excuse me?”   
  


“Oh hi there sonny, didn’t see ya….where did I put that blasted-”

 

“Do you need help?” Nines interrupted the old man’s ramblings, when he was met with a confused glance he backtracked. “With your projects.” Nines gestured around the garage. “I’d like to learn.”   
  
“Alright kid, get in here, I’m looking for a tiny little screw for this cuckoo clock here.”

 

Nines quickly scanned the garage, finding the screw immediately and handing it to the old man. The gentleman squinted through his thick glasses at the screw and then up at Nines, looking over the android.

 

“What’s your name son?” The man croaked, his watery eyes flickering to the LED.

 

“I go by Nines.” 

 

“You know anything about clocks? Or record players? I got a lot of both.”   
  
“I don’t know anything, I could look it up but I would prefer to learn organically.”

 

The old man nodded, the cigarette in his mouth drooping. He bustled around to the other workbench and got another set of tools. Nines spent the rest of his evening learning different springs and gears and screws that would help him learn the inner workings of the cuckoo clock. It was getting late when the old man, Jared was his name, finally tightened one of the springs and-

 

**CUCKOOOOOOOO CUCKOOOOO**

 

Nines jumped back, his LED flashing while Jared laughed. He smiled smally after he cancelled his startle response protocols. He had a rush of happiness at completing the task, like he had finished a mission.

 

“What else is a work in progress here?”

 

\--------

 

“See Nines? I told you a hobby would be satisfying to you.”   
  
“Yes, yes you were correct.” Nines said absentmindedly. “Have you seen Simon?

 

Connor gave him a knowing look. “Yes I think he’s out in the garden.” Nines turned to walk but Connor grabbed his arm, to stop him. “Nines, your feelings for him-”   
  
“I don’t see how that is any of your business.” Nines pulled his arm away and walked off briskly. He ignored his brother trying to reach him on their shared neural network and continued walking until he saw the blonde android in his usual spot feeding the birds.

 

“Hello Nines.” Simon turned to see the other as he approached. “Where did you run off to tonight?”

 

“I go for walks around in the surrounding suburban area.” Nines said, taking a small bit of birdseed. “I met an older gentleman and he has a repair shop for antiques and has agreed to let me help him and learn his hobby.”   
  
“That’s wonderful. I’m glad you found something to do with your time off.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *coughs* sorry i abandoned this but i'm back and i love these soft bois

Nines, it turned out, got along extraordinarily well with the old man. The unlikely pair would spend many hours in the makeshift workshop, fiddling with gears and screws. Since he spent so much time with the elderly gentleman, Nines had picked up his fashion sense as well. He had a closet of sweater vests and loafers, and Connor would sometimes knit him custom sweaters. He had made matching “J” and “9” sweaters for both of them at the shop, since he could knit at a remarkable speed.

 

Jared’s ultimate work in progress was a beautiful phonograph record player. The brass bell was adorned with elaborate engravings and the mahogany base needed a polish but was no less grand. Nines was currently trying to rework the turntable, with not much luck. He pushed up the sleeves of his sweater and tried to fit his large hands into the small gear holding. With a twist of his wrist he heard a small  _ click _ and the axel on the turntable began to spin. 

 

“Well wouldya look at that?” The old man’s voice came from over Nines’ shoulder. “You got ‘er turnin’ again”

 

“Should be fully functional now!” Nines’ pupils were round with excitement.    
  
Jared went back into his house to retrieve something while Nines hoisted the brass bell up. He carried the heavy object over to the base of the record player and reattached it effortlessly. With a soft cloth, he buffed the dark wooden base until Jared returned, carrying a record. The man had a soft smile as he looked at the black disc.

 

“This was me and my missus first dance at our weddin’ waaay back before you lot were even a possibility.” 

 

He placed the needle onto the record and the gramophone crackled to life. Nines watched as the Jared swayed along to the music, eyes closed as he danced with an invisible partner.

 

“Would you mind if I brought this with me tonight? I’d like to show someone.”   
  
“No problem kid. Someone special you got?” 

 

“Something like that.”

 

Nines took the phonograph into the room where he once was stored in New Jericho. He covered the large bell with a sheet and went to find Simon. The blonde was walking back from the garden when he came across a very excited Nines.

 

“I have something to show you!”

 

Nines grabbed his hand and pulled him to the darkened room with the phonograph. The only light was from a small window and dust flew when Nines pulled the sheet off with a flourish. He put the record on and the music started playing and filling the room.

 

“W- Would you like to dance?” Nines asked shyly. He extended a hand to Simon, which the blonde took.

 

The two swayed slowly to the music and by the final swell Simon’s head was resting on Nines’ shoulder. With no music, they stopped moving but made no motion to pull apart. Simon lifted his head to bring his eyes to the slitted pupils before stretching up to leave a tiny chaste kiss on the RK900’s lips.


End file.
